


Double Vision

by Novkat21



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Derek Hale is Bad at Feelings, Feelings, Feral Behavior, Feral Derek Hale, Getting Together, Human Derek Hale, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Derek, Kissing, M/M, Magic, Mentioned Kate Argent, Pack Nights, Pillow Talk, Pre-Relationship, Trust Issues, Tumblr Prompt, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:50:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Novkat21/pseuds/Novkat21
Summary: "So what caused my hearing and sense of smell to dull?"Deaton's brow furrowed, all amusement vanishing from his face. "What do you mean?"Derek snapped, letting loose all of his anger and fear at the man before him. "I mean I can't hear your heartbeat or the cars down below or the birds in the attic! I can't smell the flowers in Mrs. Everett's apartment, I can't smell the rotting burger in the fridge that Isaac left in there a month ago, I can't smell or hear anything like I normally can!" Deaton mouth was pressed into a thin line. "Can you explain that?!"Tumblr Prompt: Derek jealous of himself.





	Double Vision

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not beta read, so I apologize for any mistakes. I might go back in the future and fix anything.
> 
> Let me know if I missed a tag!
> 
> Enjoy!!

"Pizza?!" Derek ignored Stiles as the boy jumped over the couch and rushed over to the table as he set the boxes of pizza down. "Aw, you do care!"

Derek rolled his eyes. "More like it keeps you all quiet so I can talk during our meetings."

Stiles seemed to mull over that information as he shoved a big chunk of his slice of pizza in his mouth. Derek watched his lips move as he chewed, eyeing the spot of sauce on his bottom lip. A sudden urge to wipe Stiles's lip with his thumb had him stiffening. Blinking, he turned away, ignoring whatever nonsense the boy said. 

He moved in front of the TV, pushing the off button and turning to face his pack, arms crossed over his chest. He caught Erica's gaze, lifting an eyebrow at her strange smirk.

"What's the problem today, Sourwolf?" Stiles leapt over the couch, his foot narrowly missing Boyd's head, and plopping down beside Scott and Isaac.

"Well, since we just ran those nymphs out of town, it's been quiet," Derek explained. "Knowing our town and the supernatural, though, I don't trust it. Especially with how long it's been since something has come crawling through. We're going to up our security. That means more patrol for all of you." Audible groans sounded. "Also, no one is to leave their homes alone. Everyone has to be out and about with at least one more person with them. Stiles, I'd like for you to carry more mountain ash with you as well."

"What about school?" Isaac inquired, snuggling closer to Scott.

"Each of you has a class with at least one more person in this room. Stay close to each other. If you sense something unusual, let me know immediately. Understood?" Everyone in the room nodded. "Good. Now to move on to other business." Derek turned and picked up two DVD cases from the shelf beside him and held one up in each hand. "What movie are we watching tonight?"

♡

It had happened while Derek was on patrol a week later. He smelled something acidic, the hair on his arms rising as the air around him seemed to hum with power. He hadn't been close to the Nemeton so he wasn't sure where this sudden surge of power had come from.

That didn't mean he didn't hesitate in howling for his pack. 

He'd learned a while back that he could only do so much by himself, thanks to Scott, Stiles and Cora. This, though, was not one of those things.

He ran off the path he took daily toward the main road as his pack, save Stiles, showed up in their designated vehicles.

"I'm not sure what it is," he told them when Scott asked what was wrong. "It was near me though. Split up, but stay close."

They didn't have to travel too far to find the source of the power. In a small opening just past Derek's patrol path, a woman could be seen heading toward the giant tree stump. She wore only a long robe with her hair tied up in a messy bun, back facing them.

Derek let out a low growl and gestured Scott, Boyd, and Jackson to follow him. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before the woman spun around and grinned.

Something sparked in her eyes and the smell of strong herbs attacked his nose abruptly.

Witch.

She let out a screeching laugh after subduing the younger boys in an invisible box not a second later. Derek could sense Lydia hidden in the trees behind them with Allison, waiting for Derek's signal to use her scream. Cora and Malia were hidden behind the witch and it was at this moment he wished Stiles wasn't back at the loft fuming. He could be here to help avoid any other traps this wench set.

Derek hunched over and snarled at the woman, tensing at the flash flickering through her dark eyes.

"You need to leave our town," he demanded.

"If I could take the power resonating in this town, I would in a heartbeat," she replied. "But we all know the Nemeton's power is strongest here."

"Oh, don't tell me you're a darach." Derek looked over his shoulder sharply as Stiles sauntered over, a large jar full of mountain ash barely hidden behind his back. 

"Stiles, get out of here!" Derek snapped.

Stiles glared at Derek in return. "You said no one was to be left alone last week. And no, I did not travel here by myself." Parrish and Sheriff Stilinski stepped out of the trees, both holding their guns up and aiming at the witch. "Besides, who gets you all out of the holes you dig yourselves in? Yeah, me!"

Before Derek could snap at him again, the woman in front of him made a noise. He turned back to see her watching him closely. "An alpha, hm? You could be far more useful to me than I initially thought."

"Hey!" Derek rumbled in irritation when he heard Stiles step closer. "Leave him alone! And while you're at it, leave this town. It's kinda pathetic anyway."

"Stiles!" Sheriff Stilinki's tone held one of annoyance and worry, one that Derek understood perfectly.

"I mean, without us it would be."

The witch turned to Stiles with that same eerie stare. "You bring up a good point. But my town would be ravishing without you all." Her gaze slid back to Derek, causing the hair on the back of his neck to rise. 

He heard Stiles say something, but it was muffled by a sudden loud hum in his ears. Derek growled, took a step then fell to his knees as the hum grew in pitch, reverberating through his entire body. He covered his ears and audibly groaned, the hum turning into an aching pain that shot through every fiber of his being.

It all became too much too quickly so when the blackness came he welcomed it. 

♡

Derek sighed as his head pounded, wishing to fall back into the darkness. It was peaceful and quiet. It held no witches or magic or giant tree stumps.

Without opening his eyes, he lifted his hand to his head and winced as footsteps approached. He opened one eye to see Deaton standing over him with an amused expression, slight concern in his dark irises.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," the doctor said calmly.

Derek scrunched his eyebrows down as he opened both eyes and stared up at Deaton with distaste. "What do you mean?"

"You've been unconscious for two days, Mr. Hale."

He jerked upright as memories flooded his mind. He looked around frantically to find he was back in his loft and it was completely empty save for the two of them.

"Where's the pack? And the witch? Why am I back here?"

A reassuring hand fell on Derek's shoulder. He scowled down at it before turning the scowl on the vet. "The pack is safe. Isaac and Boyd carried you back here since it was closer than my office. The witch was taken care of. Relax."

Derek didn't listen to him. Instead, he stepped off the bed and shoved past Deaton. When he reached the couches, he stopped. 

It was quiet.

He didn't normally mind the quiet. In fact, he welcomed it, especially after being around Stiles for too long. But this quiet was different. It wasn't right.

Something was wrong.

He focused on his surroundings, pin-pointing one thing at a time. His gut twisted when he realized he couldn't hear Deaton's heartbeat or breathing, couldn't hear the clock ticking upstairs in Isaac's room, couldn't hear the birds in their nests up in the attic. 

He then turned his attention to his nose, taking in a few deep breaths. A small flicker of panic tumbled through his veins when he couldn't smell anything except the dust around him.

He spun around to face Deaton once more as his heartbeat roared loudly in his ears. "What happened?!"

Deaton raised both hands, palms facing outward. "I'll explain everything. But you need to calm down first." Derek took a few more heavy breaths, reigning in his anger and fear before he gave into the urge to walk over and punch his emissary in the face. Once Deaton decided Derek was calm enough, he lowered his hands and took a few steps forward. "I wasn't there, so I heard this all from the sheriff and the others when I arrived. No one could actually see what happened. They heard it.

"The whole pack was here, surrounding you and each other. One of them said it sounded like flesh ripping apart right before the loudest howl they'd ever heard from you sounded. You were hidden in a dark cloud, which also blocked the witch from view. When it finally cleared though, you were unconscious on the ground and the witch was lying dead in front of you, covered in blood."

Derek's blood turned to ice as he took a step back.  
"Did I...?"

"That's the assumption. No one else was that close except for Stiles. But he had nothing on him that could cause that much damage."

"So what caused my hearing and sense of smell to dull?"

Deaton's brow furrowed, all amusement vanishing from his face. "What do you mean?"

Derek snapped, letting loose all of his anger and fear at the man before him. "I mean I can't hear your heartbeat or the cars down below or the birds in the attic! I can't smell the flowers in Mrs. Everett's apartment, I can't smell the rotting burger in the fridge that Isaac left in there a month ago, I can't smell or hear anything like I normally can!" Deaton mouth was pressed into a thin line. "Can you explain that?!"

"I can't. You seemed perfectly fine when I arrived, peaceful even. Everyone said you smelled the same. It could be an after affect of whatever happened to you in the forest."

Derek growled, then paused, noticing it sounded like a human growl. It was then he realized he couldn't feel his wolf. He told Deaton immediately and the vet's face darkened in concern.

"What kind of spell was it, Deaton?"

Deaton turned away, eyes flickering around as though he were deep in thought. "That's what Stiles and Lydia are researching as we speak. Whatever happened doesn't sound familiar to me at all."

Deaton suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Derek's heart dropped when he realized it was on vibrate and he didn't hear it once. 

"Hello?" Deaton spoke into the small contraption, pausing to listen to the person on the other end. His gaze flickered to Derek, an emotion Derek couldn't quite catch flashing over his features. "He's right here, Scott. Yes, I'm looking right at him. Alright, I want you to get everyone else and come back to the loft. I don't care. In fact, it'd be better if he did. Hurry, though."

Derek watched the vet in confusion as he hung up and pocketed his phone. "What's going on?"

"It seems the witch did quite the number on you."

A sudden muffled yell sounded behind the loft door. Both men spun around as it slid open and Stiles scrambled inside. He attempted to close it behind him, but something thudded against it. He flailed backward, nearly fell over, then turned and started in their direction, but froze.

"Stiles, what-"

Stiles cut him off, eyes widening as he took a step back. "How are you-but I just-and it was-how?!"

Another loud thud resonated throughout the room. Stiles flailed and scrambled back toward Deaton, eyeing the door in fear. 

"Deaton!" Derek snapped, attempting to mask his confusion while stepping in front of both humans. 

In the next second, whatever was out there realized the door was slightly open and squeezed in, darting in and heading straight toward Stiles.

It was like looking at a mirror, but Derek knew he wasn't. He couldn't help but freeze and gawk at the other figure as it stopped in front of him and snarled.

The figure was him except wolfed out and naked, red eyes glaring daggers. 

"What the hell happened?!" Stiles shrieked from behind him. Wolf Derek seemed to snap out of it and focus his gaze on the teenage human before it rushed forward and slammed into Stiles, knocking them both to the floor. "Oh my gosh! Gethimoffgethimoff! No, don't go for the neck!! Please! Derek, wh-" 

Stiles stilled in a split second. Wolf Derek was hunched over him, clawed hands on both sides of his head, and suddenly nuzzling into Stiles's neck.

"Interesting." Deaton's voice snapped Derek out of it, but he still kept an eye on his other self warily.

"What is this?" Derek questioned, gesturing at Wolf Derek and Stiles. "What did that witch do to me?"

"If I'm not mistaken, she split you into two beings. Now how she did it, I'm not sure. It's not very common, hasn't been done in decades. We've got our work cut out for us."

"Dude, stop, that tickles," Stiles mumbled, pushing on Wolf Derek's arms as he looked up at them. "Can't they just jump into each other and go back to normal? That's a thing, right?"

Derek felt something surge in his chest, but he quickly squashed it back down as he watched his other self obviously scent the boy. 

"Not that I know of."

"But Ethan and Aiden did it!"

"They were two different beings and had a very unique power. I doubt it would work the same for Derek."

"You don't know that. Derek, dude, try it!" 

"I'm not going to do that," Derek snapped. "It's stupid. We do need to figure something out, though."

"I agree," Deaton replied coolly.

Before anything more could be said, the pack flooded into the loft. They immediately halted when Wolf Derek spun around and snarled at them, staying crouched in front of Stiles. The boy scrambled back and shot to his feet, keeping a close eye on the naked man.

The pack all looked between the two Dereks when Lydia audibly sighed. 

"Are you kidding me?"

♡ 

Derek glared at his other self practically mauling Stiles on the couch. The boy wasn't helping any either as he scratched him behind the ear, causing low rumbles to come from deep inside his chest. Derek huffed and stood against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, finally tearing his gaze away after deciding he'd been staring too long.

He looked over at Lydia, Cora, Deaton, Isaac and Scott all hunched over his desk, papers and books scattered across the surface. They all mumbled to each other, pointing at random text, shaking their heads, scribbling on other papers. He wanted to help, but he couldn't stay focused. Not with knowing what was going on on the couch.

"You're jealous," Erica stated, suddenly in front of him.

He blinked and turned the glare on her. "What could I possibly be jealous of?"

"Yourself." She gestured to Stiles and Wolf Derek, that ridiculous grin on her face.

He rolled his eyes. "That's not even possible."

"Then why are you brooding?"

"Because I just want to be myself again and there's literally nothing I can do."

"And watching Stiles and your other you is better?"

"Erica, leave him alone," Boyd interjected as he walked up and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Let him do whatever he wants."

"Fine." She let him pull her away, letting Derek breathe again. He glanced over at Stiles to see him staring at him - obviously having listened in - while his other self nosed at his hand.

"What?" He asked, voice laced with irritation.

Stiles jerked and turned back to Wolf Derek, fingers slipping behind his ear to scratch. "Nothing!"

Derek sighed and went over to the desk, peering down at the group's mess. "Find anything?"

"Actually, yes," Lydia responded. "There's quite a few things here about how to split a person into two beings. It's not as uncommon as Deaton thought it was."

"It's not every day you run into something like this, though," Deaton mumbled, sifting through some papers.

Lydia rolled her eyes and met Derek's gaze, her mouth set in a frown. "What is uncommon is how to reverse it."

"Of course it is," Derek grumbled. "How can I help?"

"There was one thing I found that might be helpful," Cora said from the other side of the desk, holding up an open book. "'Stay close to your other half. If separated from too far a distance too long, the chance of remaining the same person will lessen. While it may sound exactly like you want it to be, both halves will slowly lose touch with themselves and reality, leading to an irreversible insanity.'"

She lowered the book and met Derek's gaze with concern. The others surrounding the desk had stilled, none of them willing to look at the alpha.

"Keep reading that," Lydia demanded. Derek raised an eyebrow at her. "It sounds promising. Let us know what you find. Derek, go and try to communicate with your other half." She scowled at him when he opened his mouth to protest. "You're the only one that knows that side well enough to even reach it. Aside from Stiles, apparently."

Anger rolled through Derek's chest as he pushed away from the desk and glared over at his other half and Stiles, still seated on the couch. He glanced back at Lydia as the others immersed themselves into the research before them and she shooed him away with her hand.

Derek huffed and made his way over to the couch. He was only about two feet away when his other self tensed and crawled over Stiles, growling at Derek.

"Woah, dude, what-" Stiles peered up at him and relaxed, pushing against Wolf Derek's abs. "That's you, idiot. Stop growling at yourself."

Derek noticed that his other self quieted his growling when Stiles touched him, but didn't stop. Derek slowly and cautiously sat down on the other end, his other self moving to get in between him and Stiles.

"Any good news?" Stiles asked, leaning forward to look at Derek.

"Not really," Derek replied, a sudden wave of fatigue washing over him. "The only thing I can do is stay near my other half and try to communicate with it."

"Hey, not a bad idea! Try to talking to him!"

"And say what?"

"I don't know. It's your other half. Definitely your wolf side, though. I mean, he's all growly and likes to move around on his hands and feet like a bear. It's weird. You would totally understand it better than me."

Derek raised an eyebrow at him before looking at his other self. Wolf Derek had stopped growling altogether during Stiles' ramblings, plopping down on the cushions, but still staying between the two of them.

He looked into the red irises for a long time. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, honestly. But he was startled out of his staring contest when warmth bloomed in his bosom as the flash image of Stiles appeared in his mind. The warmth grew when he glanced over at the boy and saw amber eyes watching him.

"You okay?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah," Derek breathed. He looked back toward his other self to see his chest puffed out, smugness written all over his face. Derek wasn't too sure what that meant so he promptly ignored it. "I never realized how annoying my wolf was." 

Wolf Derek let out a huff and hunched over before turning around and nosing at Stiles. Stiles lifted his hand and started petting him on the head, earning that low rumble in return.

Derek glared at the two as an emotion he wasn't familiar with quickly replaced the warmth. "What are you doing?"

"Petting you. Er, him. He likes it!" Derek watched his other self, taking in how relaxed he was at Stiles touches. 

Wolf Derek abruptly tensed and looked over at the loft door as it slid open. Allison, Chris and the sheriff walked in together, heading toward the desk. They'd barely walked five feet before Wolf Derek jumped over the couch and ran in front of them, roaring. Chris withdrew his gun and aimed it at Wolf Derek's head, Sheriff Stilinski's hand hovering over his own.

Allison grabbed Chris's arm and tugged, eyes wide with panic. "Dad, no, stop! I told you what happened! This is it!"

At the same time she yelled at her father, Stiles flailed over the back of the couch, barely catching himself before he face planted, and held up his hands. "No, don't! Don't shoot him! Don't shoot!"

Derek stood from the couch and cautiously walked around it, holding back the panic trying to set in.

"You told me there were two of hm, but not that one was feral!" Chris shouted, unwavering.

"Stop!" Stiles moved right up next to Wolf Derek, much to his father's horror. "He's not going to hurt anyone! Just calm down!" He placed a firm hand on Wolf Derek's shoulder and the growling halted. 

After another long, tense moment, Chris holstered his gun. Allison let out a heavy sigh and let go of her father, sending a thankful look toward Stiles. Both Argents walked over to the desk and joined the others, a hum of voices instantly replacing the quiet as the group went back to their research.

"Geez, big guy. You are quite the handful."

"Oh go-Can we please get some clothes on him?" Sheriff Stilinski exclaimed, gesturing at Wolf Derek.

Stiles snickered and Derek rolled his eyes before he went upstairs to his room. He walked over his to dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, then paused. He took the time he had to think about what all had transpired.

His wolf side was being a pain in the butt, revealing all the things he'd hidden from the others for so long without batting an eye. He felt a twinge of guilt at the memory of the fear in Allison's eyes. After the pack had taken care of Kate, he'd made an unspoken peace treaty with Chris. That didn't mean he still didn't trust him and that, unfortunately, was shown just a few minutes ago.

Then images of Stiles and his other self flew across his mind and he tensed. He wasn't the jealous type. He really wasn't. But seeing the way Stiles had just eased into treating his other self with such care and love had a pain twisting in his chest.

His shoulders dropped as he let out a breath. This was not how he expected this to go.

He held the sweatpants in one hand and made his way back downstairs. He saw the sheriff and Stiles still standing by his other half who happened to be leaning heavily against Stiles.

"Here," he said as he tossed the pants over to Stiles. The boy caught them and helped Wolf Derek get his legs into them.

"It's late," Deaton announced as he stepped away from the desk. "I need to be heading out. I've got an early appointment tomorrow."

"And you all have school tomorrow," the sheriff stated, hands on his hips. "Time to get home. All of you."

"I'll do some of my own research," Derek told them before any protesting happened. "Go home and get some sleep."

"Derek, let me help," Stiles said, stepping closer to him.

Derek shook his head firmly. "No. I'll be fine. Go home."

Stiles didn't look convinced, but he finally followed his father toward the door after everyone else had left. But when he stepped through the threshold, Wolf Derek bounded after him. Derek bristled and rushed up the steps, wrapping his arms around his other self.

"Are you su-"

"I'm fine, Stiles. Go!" Derek attempted to pull his feral side back into the loft, but he lacked his superhuman strength so he barely got his other self to move an inch. Stiles stood watching for a moment before he mumbled something to his father and moved toward both Dereks. Derek barely noticed the sheriff leave as he was mainly focused on stopping his other self from trying to follow Stiles. He even let the young boy usher him back inside without Derek having to pull him in.

"So, research, huh?" Derek scowled before he went over to the desk and picked up the book Cora had been reading. He heard Stiles shuffle closer followed by loud scrapes of claws against the hard floor. "Okay, dude, why is he following me around everywhere? I mean, you. Your wolf. Geez, this is confusing."

"Don't call me dude and I have no clue."

"But he's a part of you! Shouldn't you know why he's doing this?"

Derek shrugged and reread the section Cora had earlier. It made sense to him, except for the part of wanting this to happen. He had no control over being separated from his wolf and he didn't particularly like it. There was a reason he'd killed his uncle, taking the alpha power from him. Losing it was not part of that reason.

He jumped slightly when he felt Stiles' breath ghost over his neck. He turned and glared at him, the boy promptly ignoring him as he read the same section. 

"Wait, you didn't want this, did you?" 

"No."

"Are you sure? Because-"

"Yes, I'm sure, Stiles!"

He hadn't realized how close he'd gotten to Stiles' face until his other self shot up on his feet, jumped in between them and shoved Derek across the room. He hit the wall hard and slid to the floor, pain shooting across his back. He glared up at his wolfed out face, huffing as a loud snarl ripped out of Wolf Derek's throat.

"Derek! Are you okay?!" Stiles rushed over, confusion wiping the anger off his other self's features.

"I'll be fine," Derek grumbled as he slowly got back to his feet.

Stiles looked at him with disbelief. He shook his head and gave Derek's wolf side a glare of his own. "Bad alpha! Bad!" 

Derek's feral side whined and lowered himself to a crouch, head bowed. They both stared at him for a moment for Stiles suddenly flailed his arms, nearly smacking Derek in the face.

"Wait!" He exclaimed. "What if this wasn't the spell the witch meant to use? What if it was a different one?"

Derek pulled his brow down as he looked at the boy. "What other spell would she have been trying to use then?"

Stiles darted toward the desk and started flipping through the books scattered across its surface, shoving papers aside and grasping for a pen. "What if she wanted to bring out your wolf side, your feral side? But maybe the spells were too alike and she messed it up."

"Why would she do that?"

Stiles paused and gave Derek a look. "To control your feral side and have you kill everyone. Do you not remember what she said? 'My town would be ravishing without you all.' And then you fell to the ground with that weird black cloud above you and then she was dead and-oh my gosh, your wolf killed the witch." Derek blinked, his mind reeling and trying to keep up with Stiles. He glanced at his wolf self to see him watching Stiles with those bright red eyes. "There's gotta be a spell like that! I need to text Lydia and see if she knows anything about it. No, Deaton would be better. Well, would he though? Because he always holds back so much info-"

Stiles stopped rambling the second Derek's hand rested on his after he pulled out his phone. "It's late and you have school tomorrow. We'll worry about it more then."

"Well, since we don't actually know what's going on and your wolf side is stuck to me like glue, my dad is going to excuse me from school. So I can stay up all night if I need to. Which I might."

Derek scowled. "I'm tired, Stiles."

"I'll be quiet."

The older man ran his free hand down his face. "Stiles. Bed. Now."

The boy huffed. "Fine. But where will you sleep?"

"The couch."

"But-"

Derek fixed him with his best glare, thankfully shutting the boy up. He turned to his bed, pulled a blanket off and walked over to the couch. He paused to make sure Stiles went to the bed, only laying down once Stiles was, and pulled the blanket over himself.

It hadn't been too long when he heard Stiles tossing and turning and huffing before he finally called out, "Derek?"

Derek grunted in response.

"Derek, I'm cold."

Derek sighed heavily and sat up. He looked toward the bed and noticed his other self curled up on the bed besides Stiles. He scowled and fell back on the couch. 

"You already have my wolf to keep you warm. You'll be fine."

"Dude, no. I don't want him next to me. He's too hot and won't stop sniffing my neck."

"Stop calling me dude. And you think I'm better?"

"You're human right now. There's no way you could be hotter than him!"

Derek glared at the wall. "I'm not cuddling with you."

"I never said you had to cuddle! I just said I was cold!"

The older man felt a sudden twinge in his gut at the slight whine in the boy's voice and he almost got off the couch to join Stiles in his bed. Instead, he gripped his blanket tighter to himself. "Suck it up."

He heard a loud huff and the loft fell silent. He sighed and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off into sleep.

Just before sleep pulled him in, he heard loud whining and shifting coming from the bed before a thud sounded. He shot upright and looked over to his bed. Stiles was just turning over, curling up into a ball under the blankets, and his other self was laying flat on his back on the floor.

Derek sighed and got up, taking his blanket with him. He stopped at the end of the bed and watched his other self climb back on the bed, but curl up by Stiles legs. Derek took the empty spot and got comfortable, his back facing the young man.

"Why do you hate me?" Stiles mumbled a moment later. Derek blinked his eyes open and stared out into the loft. When he didn't respond right away, he felt Stiles roll over as he grumbled, "Dude, I know you're awake. No one falls asleep that fast."

Sighing, Derek rolled onto his back. "I don't hate you."

"Then why do you treat me like shit?"

Derek processed that information for a moment. He felt a kick to his leg and glanced down to see his other self moving his leg back into its curled position. He moved his gaze to Stiles and realized the boy's eyes were moist and his mouth was set in a hard line as he stared up at the ceiling.

"I don't mean to. You just..." He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to open up and be vulnerable. Last time he had, he'd been brushed off and told his feelings were stupid and immature. He knew Stiles wasn't her, but he still hesitated. He let out a heavy sigh and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm not good with words."

Stiles snorted. "I know."

"Then why did you ask me that?"

"Because I want to know and there's nothing stopping you right now." He felt the boy's eyes on him, but he refused to move. "I just want to know why you treat me like I don't matter."

That had Derek jerking his head in Stiles' direction. "You do matter. You're the glue that keeps us all together, keeps us a pack. You take care of your father so well and you think of the best plans when we're in a bind. Trust me, you matter."

Even in the soft moonlight, Derek could see Stiles' lips lift in a small smile.

"Thanks."

Derek stayed silent for a moment, searching Stiles eyes. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he inhaled deeply before he spoke again. "I'm being completely honest when I say I don't hate you. It's...It's the opposite, actually." Stiles' eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Yes, you're loud and obnoxious, but it doesn't bother me. You're smart, kind, selfless...You've been there for me when no one else was. How could I not have these feelings for you?"

When Stiles didn't speak and continued to stare at him in shock, he realized he'd just admitted to his feelings a loud. It would've been fine, but he had no clue how Stiles felt about him.

He spun onto his side, back facing Stiles, and closed his eyes tightly. He strongly wished it was just a dream, but then he felt a warm hand reach over him and press down on his chest. He let Stiles roll him into his back and reluctantly looked up at him.

"I like you, too," Stiles whispered. In the next second, he pressed his lips to Derek's. Derek closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. Stiles' lips were so soft and pliant, he couldn't help but push his tongue into the boy's mouth. He moaned when he tasted honey and cinnamon, just like how Stiles smelled. It ended all too soon and Stiles was looking down at him with a warm expression. "Now we just have to get you back to one person."

Derek sighed and rolled over, wrapping an arm around Stiles and pulling him close. "Will you shut up and go to sleep now?"

"We just had an intimate moment and now you want you to go to sleep?" Stiles poked his chest when he didn't respond. "You jerk."

"We'll have more intimate moments later. Sleep now." Even though his own eyes were closed, Derek could practically feel Stiles roll his eyes before he rested his head against Derek's chest.

Feeling as though a heavy weight was lifted off his shoulders, Derek eased into a restful sleep.

♡

The morning sun blinded Derek the second he opened his eyes. Soft breath tickled his neck and he slowly started to pull away when he felt an arm around him tighten. He stopped and glanced down to see Stiles curled up against him, his mouth barely open.

He stared down at him for a while when he suddenly noticed the bed felt lighter. He lifted his head and looked around for his other self. The loft was empty save for the two of them.

He slowly and gently pulled away from Stiles and sat up, running a hand through his hair. Blinking sleep out of his eyes, he heard chirping from above and car horns blaring down below.

His eyes flew open as he let his senses take over for a moment. He could easily hear the calm beating of Stiles heart, could smell the rotting burger in the fridge, the stale scent of his own anxiety and fear.

In the next second, he felt his wolf rumble in the back of his mind and he looked down at his hand. He focused for a moment and then his claws were sliding out, his teeth pushing out of his gums. 

"Derek?"

He looked back over his shoulder to see Stiles rubbing sleep out of his right eye, the other looking at him sleepily.

"I'm whole again, Stiles," he growled out, getting on his hands and knees above the boy. 

Stiles blinked up at him then broke into a beautiful smile as he reached up and ran his fingers lightly over Derek's sideburns. "Welcome back, sourwolf." Derek huffed. "I don't understand, though. Why'd you go back to normal?"

Derek felt his features melt back to human as he thought about it. "I don't know."

"Wait, last night was a full moon! Maybe it was only supposed to last one night?"

"Maybe. But does it really matter?"

Stiles hummed. "Guess not. I've got my sourwolf back in one piece."

Derek smiled. "That's what I thought." He bent down and kissed Stiles, his wolf howling in joy in the back of his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Come say hi on [Tumblr](https://www.novkat.tumblr.com)!


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